Wine Reviews for everyone from the enologically astute to the casually inclined

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Chateau Faugeres 2004 St. Emilion Grand Cru reivew by (PB)

Deep black cherry hue with fresh bright fruit from the glass in the air. Gorgeous! Black cherry and berry fruit in the nose with licorice down deep.

palate--Thin on the palate with a watery texture; gentle presence but not much there. I had breathed this about 4 hours before tasting and I am perplexed. I had this wine a little over three years ago and bought another to lay down because it was so wonderful 3 years ago. This is nothing like the wine I had then. (You can read that review on this blog to compare)

What to make of it? It is possible that it just needed more ti me to open up. As the evening progressed over our rack of lamb dinner with friends, it did seem to be trying to break out but it never arrived.

People speak of wines going through a "dump phase." I can't certify that is a real phenomenon objectively but perhaps that is what this is. I only know this was a disappointment to me and our dinner hosts. I paid around $30 for this 3-4 years ago. It just didn't deliver.